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BELT CARRIER TIGHTENER. No'. 380,400. PatentedApr. 3, 1888.

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ihvrrnio Sfr-Ares PATENT trices ROBERT YVARR-EN MENKE AND WILLIAM MENKE,OF SANBORN, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,400. dated April 3,1888.

Application tiled December 29,1887. Serial No. 259,355. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT WARREN Manitu and WILLIAM Minuut, citizensof the United States, residing at Sanborn, in the county of Barnes andTerritory ofDakota,have invented new and useful Improvements in Belt-Carrier Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in beltcarriertighteners, beingexpressly adapted to harvester-carriers; and it consists in theconstruction and novel application of parts hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a central longitudinalsection of a beltcarrier having the invention applied thereto, the beltshown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the inventionwith the carrier-belt removed. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged side viewshowing the nut and spring, the nut heilig engaged by the wrench.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the frame, having oneend roller, a, of the carrier journaled to the side bars, B, movingagainst the inner surfaces of its side rails. The side bars, B, areprovided near their ends with the longitudinal and preferably alignedslots b b, through which pass the retaining pins or bolts C C on eachside, which engage in tapped recesses in the side rails of the mainframe.

D D are straight racks made on the upper sides of the bars B between theslotsb b. The roller ct is journaled in the bars B to the outer sideofthe slot b, so as to be out of the way of said racks.

E is a transverse shaft journaled in the side rails of the main frameand having fixed upon it the pinions c c, which engage the respectiveracks D D. One stud of the shaft E is extended outside the correspondingrail, and has its. extremity f squared for the attachnient of a wrench,F, by means of which and the said pinion and racks the bars B may bemade to travel inward or outward, so as to loosen or tighten thecarrier-belt.

G is a ratchetwheel fixed on the extended portion ofthe shaft E, and His a nut loosely turning on said shaft and having a central recess, k,surrounding said ratchet-wheel.

h is a pawl pivoted in the recess and forced into engagement with theratchet-wheel by the spring h2, having one end secured in the wall ofsaid recess.

I is a small rod having its inner end secured to the pawl, passingthence through the wall of the nut H, and having a loop or ring, i, onits outer end to engage a hooh,j, on the inner end of the sliding wireJ, that moves through a staple or staples, j', on the wrench IK, and hasits outer end pivoted to the outstanding arm 7c of the angularhand-lever apivoted at 7a2 to the wrench K, so that when the hand closeson said wrench and lever the wire I is drawn outward and the pawl la isreleased from the ratchet-wheel G, allowing the shaft E to be turned ineither direction.

The wrench K is slotted or notched to dt on the recessed nut H. L is astrong leafspring having one end secured to the said nut, the other endto the corresponding side rail ofthe main frame and surrounding the nutH with four or more` coils. The ends of the said spring are preferablysecured to the nut and side rail by pins or bolts, as shown, and serveto prevent reaction of the bars when moved to tighten the carrier.

When the wrench K is placed upon the nut, the pawl is disengaged fromthe ratchet by the described means. The wrench F may thenl be placed onthe squared end of shaft E, and the bars B, and consequently the rollera, moved inward or outward thereby by the described means, loosening ortightening the carrier, as described. When sufficiently loose or tight,the latter is held in position by releasing the lever K, so as to allowthe pawl to engage the ratchet before releasing the Wrench Il". Theroller c of the carrier isjournaled in the side rails of the main frame.

Having thus described our invention, we claiml. The combination, withthe main frame of the carrier, of the slotted bars moving against theside rails of said frame and provided with racks on their upper edges,the roller o., journaled in said slotted bars, the shaftjournaled on theside bars of the main frame, the pinions on said shaft, theyratchet-Wheel on the extended end of said shaft, and the pawl engagifngsaid ratchet-wheel, substantially as speci- 2. The combination, with themain frame of the carrier, of the slotted bars B, provided with theracks on their` upper edges and moving on the pins or bolts C, the shaftE, journaled in said side bars and having one end outside its bearingsquared, the pinions on said shaft,the ratchet-wheel on the squared endof the shaft, the paWl engaging said ratchet- Wheel,andthe wrenchRengaging said squared end, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the main frame of the carrier, of the bars B,having the slots b b and racks D, the pins or bolts C, the shaft E,having the squared endf and the pinions ee, the ratchet-wheel, therecessed nut, the leafspring L, the paWl,l and the spring attached tothe recessed nut and forcing the pawl into engagement with the ratchet-Wheel, substantially as specified.

4. Thecombination, with the main frame of the carrier, of the bars B,having the slots b b and racks D, the pins C, the shaft E, having thesquared end f and the pinions e e, the ratchet-Wheel, the recessed nut,the leaf-spring L, the pawl,thesprng attached to the recessed nut andbearing on the pawl, the wire l, having the ring i on its outer end,andthe wrench K, provided with the angle-lever pivoted thereon at itsangle, and the sliding wire J, having the hook j on its end,substantially as specified.

5. In combination with the main frame of the carrier, the slotted barsmoving against the side rails of said frame and provided with racks, theroller a, journaled in said slotted bars, the shaft journaled in theside bars of the main frame, the pinions on said shaft to engage theracks, and the paWl-and-ratehet mechanism for the shaft, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT WARREN MENKE. WILLIAM MENKE. Witnesses:

C. E. PIERsoN, F. B. PEAsE.

